City of Carlsbad and Eddy County take proactive approaches to litter cleaning in 2023
The return of a popular trash cleaning event and studies of increasing space at the Sandpoint Landfill appear to have Eddy County and the City of Carlsbad going on offense to clean up trash in 2023.
Keep Carlsbad Beautiful Director Mary Garwood said Riverblitz returns for its 24th year Saturday.
She said 4.6 tons of trash were collected last year and 10.1 tons were collected in 2021.
More:Riverblitz scheduled for March 4
Garwood said the tonnage of trash collected during Riverblitz fluctuates from annually.
“Depending on who gets involved and who has access to certain equipment. Sometimes people bring in front-end loaders or extra trailers or we need heavier equipment to remove some of the debris. That kind of tends to add up to the statistics,” she said.
The Pecos River is a selling point for the City of Carlsbad and Eddy County in attracting potential residents, visitors and businesses. For that reason, Garwood said it was important to keep the river clean.
“We are blessed to have the Pecos River in this part of the state,” she said. “It’s an important asset for the people who live here.”
Riverblitz starts at 7 a.m. Saturday trash cleaning supplies may be picked up at the Riverwalk Recreation Center, according to Garwood.
She said the Eddy County Sheriff’s Posse will serve lunch to volunteers once the clean-up ends.
Eddy County seeks more space at Sandpoint Landfill
On Feb. 21 Eddy County’s Board of County Commissioners approved a $500,000 budget adjustment submitted by Public Works Director Jason Burns to secure construction design and specifications for the creation of Cell 6 at the Sandpoint Landfill east of Carlsbad.
He said Cell 5 is nearly 45 percent full as the County and City of Carlsbad deal with increased trash tonnage hauled to the landfill, which is a joint venture between both government entities.
Burns estimated Cell 5 has nearly five years left before it is full.
“It keeps us ahead if we see an increase and influx of trash,” he said of the money request for Cell 6 preparation. “We have the design in place, and we can go ahead and proceed with construction.”
Burns said the County was looking at capping Cells 1 through 4, even though they are not closed.
A landfill cell is a single, waste-holding unit within a larger landfill property, according to Oregon based BTL Liners a producer of landfill liner material.
The cells are shaped as basins during excavation with berms to contain various liquids deposited within a landfill, according to BTL’s website.
More:City of Carlsbad trash tonnages increase at Sandpoint Landfill during summer months
Trash tonnage from the City of Carlsbad deposited the Sandpoint Landfill increased from 6.25 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to data compiled by City of Carlsbad Solid Waste Superintendent Albert Moisa.
Garwood said overall tonnage numbers are up from the City of Carlsbad compared to nearly four years ago.
She said there are several factors that might have led to increased trash in Carlsbad.
“There’s just more waste being generated just in general. There are more single use products, whether it comes to masks or wipes from the whole response to COVID (-19). We’re just generally more trashy,” Garwood said.
The Environmental Protection Association (EPA) noted that plastic products in landfills across the U.S. increased by 4.3 million tons from 2010 to 2018 and were from durable goods and the containers and packaging categories.
Plastics generation grew from 8.2 percent of generation in 1990 to 12.2 percent in 2018, per EPA data.
Trash tonnage from Eddy County trucked to the Sandpoint Landfill decreased 3 percent from 2021 to 2022 and tonnage increased by 4.7 percent from 2021 to 2022 from the City of Artesia, read City of Carlsbad Solid Waste data.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: City of Carlsbad Eddy County get ahead in trash cleanups
